Resilient coupling



July 12, 1960 c. D. MILLER 2,944,844

RESILIENT coUPLING Filed Nov. 1, 1954 ATTORNEYS.

" connectedbetween andriving Ute 2,944,844 RnsmENr coUrLlNG Carl David Miller, Columbus, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Cooper Bessemer Corporation, Mount Vernon, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Nov. 1, 195'4, Ser. No. 466,116

6 Claims. (Cl. 287-53) j States Patent a belt or other driving means; a hollow,V flexible `disk connected between the wheelmember and the hub member; and a iluid inthe hollow flexible disk. i v

Today, asin the past, resilient couplings are construct-- eddwhichgm'ake Vuse of cloth.:and/pr,-J1esilient-materials 5er?. These .couplings 'maks Allszff. the. etlllvral. elasticityy ofthe materials themselves; nl n, these conventional vcloth;` disk resilientcoupliugathe primarylpurporse of the.cl0t,h

erV andlaldriven mein-,

disk coupling wherein the disk comprises a resilient material reinforced with a fabric having wooflike strands dis.- posed at an angle to radial lines of the coupling so that deilection of the sides of the disk causes relative rotation between the hub and the rim of the coupling.

Y To these and other ends, this invention comprises apparatus which is disclosed in a preferred form in the folf lowing description and attached drawings:

In the drawings:

Fig. l is an elevation View, partially detailed, of one embodiment of this invention; and

Fig. 2 is a partially sectioned elevation view taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a resilient coupling, designated generally as 10, comprises: a hub member, des ignated generally as 11, fixed against rotation on a shaft .12, by a key 13; a wheel member, designated generally as 14, adapted to drive or be driven by a belt or other means not shown; and a hollow flexible disk, designated generally as 16.

The disk 16 comprises two side members 17 and 18,

independently fastened to opposite ends of the hub mem?,

" pression seal between lan outer rim member 22 andan inner ring member 23V of the wheel member 14 by bolts 24 and nuts 25.`y

@The liub member 11 comprises an annular base mem-i is`to compensate for misalignment,ofthejdriving and:

driven members. ASince the" cloth is relatively nonela'stic,

arresilient coupling employing cloth isnot an 4energy stor-` ageVA type of coupling. On the other hand, conventionalresilient couplings having resilient materials disposed between the driving and driven members are capable'of energy "storage, but are limited to installations in which torque loads are relativelytlight. Without provision for damping the possibility of resonance ofthe coupling as a'vibratin'g system at. certain frequencies of fluctuation of load, is a decided disadvantage. These simple prior devices are thus unsuitable for use on drives where torque fluctuations are of considerable magnitude.

Some Aresilient couplings of this class have been altered inthe past byadditional mechanisms and refinements to compensate in some Aineasureforg 4these disadvantages. However, introductionofgthesej refinements has the fur@ ther disadvantage that theyugusuallyl comprise`-lmachine partsrwhich are precision b uiltland, therefore,.expensive toy manufacture.` Further, l `these devices ,.normallythave ya metallic ycompression vspringt-winch is subject to. fatigue andlearlyfailure; g I, gw .-Accordingly, it is an object` of Atbisinvention to provide a resilient coupling wherein:` rotation `is producedinlthe driven member. by tension, in,l .the7- .strandsu of. a reinforced fabrichollow disk containinga fluid.- i It is another 4ob- .ject to;provide a; resilientcoupling ingwhich sliding and rrioving partsV are eliminated, and. replaced with a ilexibleielasticfluid-controlled disk of `lesser cost and long life. *It is still another 'object vto provide a resilient cou- .pling in which a lluidl is provided to dampen the rebound :vibrations of theelastic disk after subjection to a fluctu- .atingtorquey l 1 It is another purpose of this invention to provide a ho1- Alow flexible Vdisk coupling containing a'fiuid under pressure; :wherein the disk contains a fabricfthat is woven inl'such'a manner that thel strands under the-action of :fthe fluid prssure'gactas; aftorsion spring Kto -store'vthe energy of maximum force iluctuationspof Athe torque cycle.

be'rf26, having a substantially Ulshaped cross section and an annular outer cover member 27, fastened together with screws 28. The coverymember 27 is provided with one or preferablyv aplurality of communication passages 29, four being shown in Fig. 1.

It will be seen that the annular base member 26 and thev cover member 27 combine to form an annular reserdisk 16 combine with the cover 27 to form an annular chamber 31. A liquid 32 is provided in the chamber 31 and the reservoir 30. The passage 29 provides a means of fluid communication between the chamber 31 and the reservoir 30. The size of the passages 29 provides a means of orifice control over Huid flow between the chamber 31and the reservoir 30.

Each of sides 17 and 1S comprise formed sheetlike portions .of a resilient material, such as rubber, reinforced Ywith a woven fabric, preferably enmeshed t0- getvher. Depending on the amount of torque which the coupling isto carry, the fabric may be of either a cloth or wire material. If the coupling is to be lightly loaded,

j the material may be cloth. If the coupling is to be heavily loaded, the fabric may be composed ofwire strands.

Ylt is yet another-purpose toprovideahoHow flexible '1' The reinforcement fabric of this invention comprises two groups of strands. The rst group or warplike strands 35 are disposed either as concentric circular strands, or are disposed as spiral strands commencing under the retainer ring members 19 and 20 and continuing by 'progressive radial enlargement to the peripheral sealed portion of the disks 17 and 18 which is located under the outer rim and inner ring members 22 and 23, as shown in Fig. 1. A second group of wooflike strands 36 is interwoven with the lirst group of strands 35. Alternatively, the second group of wooflike strands need not be interwoven with the iirst group of strands but may be bonded in the resilient material in a position adjacent to the warplike strands 35. VThe wooflike strands 36 are disposed askew, at an angle designated A in Fig. 1, to radial projected lines of the coupling. They are also askew to the longitudinal axis of the strands in the first group 35. The operation of a resi-lient coupling of this invention is'as follows: i l

`Patented July v12, 1960 The chambers 30 and 31 are partially lled with a liquid 32. That portion of the chambers 30 and 31 not occupied by the liquid 32 is, filled with a gas, preferably air. land 31' is maintained at. a value .to keep the sides 1T and 18 of the disk 16 taut and under tension. When the coupling is in `operation and rotating, the action of centrifugal' force causes the liquidv 32, to occupy the charnber 3.1 and outer portion of the chamber 30, leaving the air to occupy the inner portion of the chamber 30, as shown in Fig. 2.

While either the wheel member 14 or the hub member 11 may be the driving member and the opposite be the driven member, vfor purposes of illustration it will be assumed that the hub member 11 is the `driving member in a clockwise direction as viewed in Eig. l, according to the arrow.

g During rotation of the coupling under these conditions, an increase in torque applied by the hubv 11 causes the rim 14 to .be angularly retarded relative to the hub 11. As a consequence of `this retardation, the wooflike strands 36 are drawn straighter and the amount of bow in sides 17 and 18 is decreased. Thus, the volume ot the chamber '31 is decreased This increases the pressure in the chambers 31 and 30 -through the compression of the'air.A

in kthe chamber 30. The increased torque energy isi resiliently convertedto 'stored pressure energy in theV liquid 32 land air in the chambers 30 and 311.

The hydrostatic pressure 'within the chambers 3G;k

ment position on said driving member to an attachment position' on said' driven member.

2.` A resilient coupling according to claim 1 wherein the hollow of said disk and said reservoir is iilled pantially with a liquid and partially with a gas, lunder pressure, whereby torque energy is stored as pressure energy'by compression of .the gas. l

3. A resilient coupling comprising: a driving member and a driven member; a hollow flexible disk connected between vsaid members; a reservoir for huid, in one. of said members; a fluid inthe hollow ofsaid llexible disk and said reservoir; uid passage meansk between said reservoir and the hollow of sai-d ilexible disk to communicate and position on said driven member.

Upon a decrease in torque applied bythe hub 1 1, theA above-described operation. and 31iorces the sides 17 and 18 to'becorne more bowed This decreases the .distance between the pointsV of attachment atthe hub .11 and rim 14 of the wooflike strands 36 land `causes the rim 14y to advance `angularly relative to the hub .11. During operation under luctuatk ing torque conditions, .the liquid 32 is pumped in and out through passage 29 between chambers 30 and 31 by changing internal pressure conditions. The Vsize of the passage 2,9 provides a means of orifice control over the rate of flow between the chambers 30` and 31. This may be controlled ito provide a dampening effect and prevent recurring rebound vibrations.

While it is preferred that a large portion of the in ternal volume of the chambers 30 and 31 be iilled with liquid, as described above, the coupling may be operated without la liquid. In such a case the chambers 30 and 4. A resilient couplingaccording to Vclaim 3 wherein the hollow oflsaid disk and said reservoir' is lled'parti'ally' with a liquid and `partially'with a gas, under pressure, wherebg torque energy;y is stored as pressure energy by compression of the gasl '-)SfAresilient couplingjhaving a` driving member and a'driven member comprising: a Vhub member; a wheel member; a hollow flexible ldisk connected between said hubqmember and said wheelV` member; a'reservoir for uid in said hub=member; a-'uid in said hollow flexible 31 may be .completely lilled ywith a' gas, such as air, q V

under pressure.

It will be understood, of course, that, while the forms of the invention herein shown and described constitute disk and said reservoiratfleast one fluid passage he,-V tween said reservor yand' the hollow of said flexible. disk to control the rate ofy tlow of said fluid between said hollow flexible disk and said reservoir; said hollow ilexible disk having walls of an elastic material, enmeshed With one group of flexible, relatively inelastic warplike strands disposed in a spiral from an attachment position at said Vhub member to an attachment position on said wheel member and a second group of wooike strands disposed at an angle in one direction only to radial projected lines of said hub member, from an attachment position on said driving member to an attachment position on said driven member; said strand disposition allowing changes in the volume of the hollow of said disk corresponding responsively to angular displacements between said hub member and saidl wheel member and to the pressure of said iluid induced by said volume changes.

6. A vresilient coupling having a driving member and a driven member comprising: a hub member; a wheel than of limitation, and that-various changes, suchas changes in shape, relative size, and arrangement of parts, may be substituted without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the invention herein disclosed.

What is claimed is:

l. A resilient coupling comprising: a driving member and .a -driven member; a hollow ilexible disk connected between said members; -a reservoir for iluid in one of said members; a fluid in the hollow of said iexible diskand said reservoir; fluid passage means between said reservoir and the hollow of said ilexible disk to communicate and to control the rate of flow of fluid lbetween said hollow member; a hollow flexible disk connected between said hub member and said wheel member; a reservoir for fluid in said hub member; Ya fluid in said hollow flexible disk and said reservoir; at leastv one Huid passage between said reservoir and the hollow of said flexible disk exible disk and said reservoir; said exible hollow disk to communicateV and to control the rate of flow of fluid between said hollow flexible disk and said reservoir; said hollow exible disk having walls of a exible elastic maf terial, enmeshed with one group of warplike flexible, relatively inelastic strands disposed in concentric circles about lthe rotational axis of said coupling from an attachment position on said hub member to an attachment position on said wheel member, and asecond group of wooflike lstrands disposed at an angle in one direction only to radial projected lines of said hub member; said strand disposition allowing changes in the volume of the hollow of said ldisk corresponding responsively to angular displacements between said hub member and said wheel member and to the pressure in said fluid induced by said volume changes. a

(Referencespn following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ungar Mar. 27, 1928 Degnon June 10, 1941 Anderson Jan. 5, 1943 6 Fawick Apr. 13, 1943 Zere Aug. 1, 1950 Ayling -...n. May 29, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain May 5, 1932 

